May

Senior Wisdom: Dhruv Vasishtha

Claim to fame: Ex-president of Columbia Parliamentary Debate, Unbearingly excited COHOP leader, Mayor of McBain 8 2008-2009 and recently of handing Snoop Dogg a cup of gin and juice while he was performing said song.

Where are you going? The Lower East Side or Park Slope a.k.a. where Columbia graduates go to die.

Three things I learned at Columbia:

1. The Columbia social scene is a hierarchy of decreasing awkward- and dorky-ness. You may think you’re cool at the top but we’re all just neurotic, socially maladjusted nerds at heart.

2. It’s cliche but The Core ties us all together. While abroad, another Columbia student and I in the same class, simultaneously blurted out the same line from Don Quixote during a discussion of a Borges story.

3. “Good intentions are not enough.” – Xavier Sala-i-Martin

“Back in my day…” JJ’s Place used to be open till 4 a.m. and was the number one spot for drunk food, munchies and end of the night hang outs.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I came to Columbia to be near my family only to find my second one. I lived with the same Carman suite all four years of college and they’ve shaped who I’ve become as a person just as much as my mom and dad.

Is the War on Fun over? Who won? Any war stories? The war on fun does exist, it started after a change of leadership in the Office of Judicial Affairs when the new head wanted everything to be documented and RA’s would more vigilantly write up violations. At the same time, we always romanticize the past and everything was better “in my day.” We haven’t lost though; at 40’s on 40 I was one of the earlier revelers and started the first rendition of “Roar Lion Roar.” Immediately afterwards a public safety officer ran over to me and asked for my CUID alleging that I had attempted to “incite a riot.” Only at Columbia would displays of school spirit get you into trouble. We sang it again anyways.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Oral sex. Perhaps it’s the foodie in me or my Hindu upbringing and subsequent partiality for all things dairy.

Advice for the class of 2015:

– Friends>Classes/Work. Invest time in making meaningful relationships, I learned a lot more from my friends than I did from my classes.

– We go to school in New York City so our college bubble is more porous than other schools’. When you get on the 1 you might be sitting next to a banker going to his job in Midtown or the homeless man that you see every few weeks getting worse. Regardless of which way you might be going, walk with empathy and humility. Feel free to call me a self-righteous ass in the comments.

– Be proactive. You can have whatever kind of experience you want here but Columbia is a really tough place to go to school and nothing is given to you. Make an effort to see friends who don’t live in your dorm, try to catch up with professors from previous classes, come up with off campus escapades. This will be some of the most formative and amazing four years of your life but it all requires being proactive.

Any regrets? It’s disingenuous to say you have no regrets, or never question past decisions. Are there words I wish I had said, some that I could take back? Of course. Would I do the last four years over again? Never.

Know someone wise? Submit your nominees’ UNIs and a few good tales to [email protected].

Dhurv, I think you are such a genuine, amazing person, and I am so SO lucky truly to be able to have spent so much time with you. The other commenters are just MAD jealous yo. FOR REALSIES. I think you are so so so amazing and I am so honored to even have been your friend for those few moments we were friends.

Anyone else find it interesting that as a commenter base we seem to believe the highest compliment we can give someone is being "genuine"? I'm not sure if I can think if a better one, I just think it's interesting.

Wouldn't consider Dhruv a "friend," persay...because I never had the fortune of getting to know him too too well. However, he has always made me feel welcome while knowing that I'm a bit socially awkward. He's charming, funny, and undoubtedly extremely intelligent and I wish him the best in his endeavors after Columbia. His name is also fun to say: DHRUVVVVVVVVVV